None.
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Not Applicable.
A Picatinny rail is a structure incorporated into many military weapons. It is a rail attached typically to a rifle and that allows the securing of a variety of auxiliary weapons, such as grenade launchers or shotguns, and weapon-related devices, such as scopes and laser spotters to the rifle. In short, the rail enables the rifle to be turned into a multi-capability weapons platform. An example of such a rail for use in holding a number of different devices is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,484 for a Universal Mount for Rifle. The selection of components to be attached to a Picatinny rail and their precise arrangement on the rail is usually made just prior to a mission. Consequently, the weapon system will be configured ad hoc according to preferences of the individual who will be carrying the weapons platform.
The rail is a flattened bar having a major dimension much greater than its minor dimension and having a series of transverse grooves formed across the top of it. It has a cross section in the shape of a wide hexagon.
Devices that are to be attached to the rail either slide onto it from the end or are secured using clamps or clips. Once the selected attachments are secured to the Picatinny rail, there are a few exposed areas of the rail remaining. These are typically covered with a rail cover. The rail cover serves three purposes. It acts as a heat shield to protect the user""s hand from the heat of the barrel. It provides a suitable surface to grip. Finally, it protects the rail from dirt, dust and damage.
The prior art rail cover is typically a thermoplastic panel that slides axially onto the rail from the end of the rail and is textured for grip, often by a series of transverse ribs. In order to prevent axial movement of the cover, a spring is included in the cover that snaps into one of the rail""s grooves upon installation. By pressing on the spring, the user spreads it free of the groove for axial removal.
A problem with the prior art rail cover design is that it can only be applied by sliding it axially onto the end of the rail. Because the configuration of the auxiliary equipment may need to be changed quickly and often, and because the precise location of each component to be attached to the rail is not really known until the weapon system is assembled, it would be convenient if the rail cover, which comes in varying lengths, could be applied perpendicular to the rail without sliding it axially onto the end of the rail. Such a rail cover could then be applied where needed after the weapons system had been configured.
Briefly recited, the present invention is a rail cover that can be applied from the side, perpendicular to the rail surface. The rail cover is symmetric front to back and left to right, with a series of grooves running transversely across the back. The underside has a rail-gripping means undercut along both sides, with a pair of locating tabs that fit into a groove on the Picatinny rail to keep the rail cover from sliding axially.
A feature of the present invention is the combination of the undercut and the material of which the rail cover is made, namely, a polymer with a rubberizing agent for increased flexibility. This feature allows the present rail cover to be snapped onto and off of the rail quickly and easily. Furthermore, this feature also allows the rail cover to be molded in a very simple mold. No complex slide tooling or part ejection mechanism is required; at the completion of the molding cycle and opening of the mold, the finished rail cover may be easily unsnapped from the mold just as if the rail cover were to be removed from the rail. Tooling investment is minimized and product cycle times are reduced, allowing for higher productivity rates and significantly lower piece price.
The material itself is a feature of the present invention. Preferably it is a polymer with a rubberizing agent added. It is slightly flexible and dimensionally stable over a broad range of environmental conditions and over time.
The grooves transverse to the axis are yet another feature of the present invention. These grooves have several functions. First, they provide a more slip-resistant surface for gripping. Second, they reduce part weight and material usage without compromising overall part strength by leaving ribs between the grooves. Third, the grooves allow just enough flex so that a user may remove and install the rail cover on the rail.
The symmetric configuration of the rail cover is another important feature of the present invention; it may be put onto a rail in any orientation because of its symmetry. This xe2x80x9cpoke-yokexe2x80x9d feature allows for greater economies of scale in tool production by further reducing tool design and fabrication complexity, as well as simplifying manufacturing process gauges and part dimensional control. This feature also enables users to assemble the rail cover into the weapon system faster and with fewer rejected parts.
These and other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art of designing and manufacturing weapons components from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments, accompanied by the following drawings.